Healing
by rock-dobby's-socks
Summary: When Katniss Everdeen went back to District 12 after the war she became a recluse. With the help of Haymitch she finds herself slowly getting better. EVENTUAL KATNISS/HAYMITCH. NOT EPILOGUE COMPLIANT.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNISE. THE HUNGER GAMES BELONGS TO THE WONDERFUL SUZANNE COLLINS.

A/N NEWLY UPDATED TO FIX ERRORS ADVISED BY INLOVEWITHACRIMINAL.

I had been back in District 12 for almost three weeks, and I had still not left the house. Greasy Sae would come over with supplies the Capitol had sent, keep me company and help me with the housework, and that was nice, but for the most part, all I wanted to do was be on my own. I was continually screening my calls from Dr Aurelius, not wanting or needing his help, and as for Haymitch? Well, I hadn't seen him since we got back. Peeta was meant to be coming back home soon but I didn't want to see him either. All I wanted was for Prim and my mother to be here.

Instead I spent my days laid on Prim's bed, with Buttercup curling up with me to join me in mourning. We had developed an almost friendship where he relied on me and I relied on him. I could never replace Prim in his eyes, and I never wanted to. After all, I fought to kill the mongrel before I saw how much Prim loved him. But at least we could lean on each other when the pain got too much.

It wasn't until an exceptionally painful session of nightmares that I finally picked myself up and tentatively walked over to Haymitch's. I didn't knock. After all, we had been through so much that there wasn't much point. Instead I just walked into his kitchen and almost laughed at the sight of him crumpled on the floor, a bottle in one hand and a knife in the other. I really should have come over earlier, the familiarity was the best feeling I had felt since the war.

I strode over to the sink and filled a big jug of water before pouring it straight over his head and he woke with a start. "I thought I told you not to do that!" He snapped at me, before standing up and wiping the water from his face. "Honestly sweetheart, I haven't seen you in weeks and then you come over to do this to me?"

"And I told you that until you stop sleeping with a knife this is the only way I dare wake you," I replied with a smirk. The first smile I'd made in months.

"What brings you all the way here then anyway?" He asked me, taking a sip from his bottle of liquor.

"You only live two minutes away," I snapped.

"Still a lot further than your front door, when you consider that's about the furthest you've been in nearly a month," he replied, and I glared at him.

"I've been busy," I told him. "And I only came for a drink."

"Too busy to come see your loving mentor?" He laughed. "And can if you want a drink you can get your own. The last thing I want is to get you drunk when I'm supposed to be keeping an eye out on you."

"Great job you're doing too by the way. When was the last time you came over?"

Haymitch suddenly went quiet and I knew he was feeling guilty for neglecting me. "Here," he said offering me the bottle of alcohol that I quickly accepted.

The first mouthful burnt my throat, but I can't say the second one was much better. Still, I perched myself onto the kitchen counter and kept drinking. "Do you think I'm crazy?" I asked him, hoping for a genuine answer rather than him babying me like Greasy Sae insists on doing.

"Honestly?" He asks and I nod. "I think you're mad as a bat, but I don't blame you for killing Coin. It doesn't mean I think you shouldn't have ignored your desire for revenge and accepted Coin as president though."

I could always rely on Haymitch for an honest answer, no matter how unpleasant it was. That is if you discount him not telling me about the rescue plan from the Quarter Quell. "I know I shouldn't have done it. Now even if I wanted to go see my mother or Gale in the other districts I can't."

"Of course you can," he told me matter-of-factly. "Just as soon as you convince me and Aurelius that you're better, and won't go shooting anybody else," he smirked.

"I really don't want to speak to him," I whined, taking another mouthful of liquor.

"There's no point anyway," he told me, and I raised a questioning eyebrow. "As long as you keep shutting yourself up, and only come out to steal my alcohol there is no way I'm saying you're ok."

"Haymitch!" I snapped, but he just laughed at me.

"Come on sweetheart," he said as he lifted me up if the counter. "Go get your bow. We're going hunting.

"Hunting? What good will that do?" I asked in bewilderment.

"You need to get back to normality, and you storming out here and throwing that water over my head was the first time I've seen you like your usual self for weeks.

"How would you know? You haven't been there?"

"Do you really think Greasy Sae hasn't been keeping an eye out on you for me? She'll told me how you never leave Prim's room except for a few hours a day." He told me.

"You've had people spying on me!" I say angrily.

"I was waiting for you to make the first move. To show that you were ready to get better. If I'd come over and started getting involved you would have only kicked me out."

I knew he was right, but it didn't stop me from being furious with him. I think he could sense that because he grabbed my hand and led me out of the house, towards the woods. He must have thought if I started hunting I would stop being angry, and I hoped for his sake that he was right. The last thing he would want is to be face to face with me and a bow and arrow.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I STILL DON'T OWN THE HUNGER GAMES.

I stared nervously at the torn down gate that led to the forest for what seemed like an age, before Haymitch took my hand and told me gently, "Katniss, you can do this."

I looked at him before giving a sharp nod and walking towards the trees, releasing his hand in the process. He let me go on a few paces ahead, and I knew he was watching me carefully to see whether I really was the same Katniss. He didn't need to though, I was already analysing myself in the same way.

When we were deep enough in to find anything worth killing I started to tremble. I had donned my bow and quiver, and suddenly I was reminded of the Quarter Quell, when we were in the jungle. "I can't do this," I told him in a whisper.

"Of course you can," he replied, guiding my hands so that my bow was targeted straight at a squirrel. I steadied myself and pulled back, releasing the arrow only for it to miss the animal by an inch.

"It's alright," Haymitch told me, but I'd already had enough. I turned to leave when all of a sudden he grabbed my arm. "In all the time I've known you, you've never given up! Don't start now. It's one of the only things I actually like about you."

I narrowed my eyes at him but I knew he was right. If I gave up before I'd barely tried then I would never get better. With a sigh, I loaded another arrow and took aim at the squirrel that had quickly scampered up a nearby tree. I fired and the animal fell dead on the ground.

"That's more like it sweetheart!" Haymitch told me, and I grinned. We approached the squirrel. "Hey, right in the eye just like Peeta told me!"

Peeta. After everything he had been through it only seemed right that I kept trying to get better. For his sake as well as my own. With that thought in mind I quickly stuffed the creature in my game bag and searched for something else to hunt. It didn't take long before we came across a large group of rabbits, and when Haymitch gave me a nod I quickly loaded my bow and fired in rapid succession. I did miss a few, but I knew my game was off. As the rest of the rabbits fled I picked up the three I managed to shoot, as well as retrieving the arrows that had missed.

"You did good!" Haymitch said, giving me a hard pat on pat on the back. "Now how about we get these back, and give them to Greasy Sae. I'm sure she'll appreciate them."

I agreed, and we trudged back to the Victor's Village. As I passed Greasy Sae the game I couldn't help but feel a sting of sadness as I imagined giving Peeta's father the squirrel, and seeing the smile on his face. A smile that neither I nor Peeta would ever see again.

"I'm going upstairs," I told Haymitch and Greasy Sae before racing to Prim's bedroom and collapsing on the bed. Buttercup jumped up soon after I did, and looked at me with worried eyes.

"I'm fine," I told him angrily, not in the mood to be fussed over. He ignored me though, meowing, and pawing at me. "Go away!" I told him before roughly shoving him off the bed, making him hiss and slink out of the room.

On my own I let the tears flow, before letting myself succumb to sleep and the nightmares that always followed.

__

The next morning I went downstairs to find Haymitch sat at the coffee table with a cup of what I could almost guarantee was not coffee.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a harsher tone than was perhaps necessary.

"Waiting for you," he replied. "Greasy Sae was wanting to make some soup, like she used to. She was hoping we could go get her some wild dog."

"Why would I need you to come along? Just because Gale isn't here doesn't mean I can't hunt on my own." I told him.

"Well I thought you could use some help getting it back," he replied, and I glared at him. "Just humour me?" He asked with a sigh.

"Fine, but don't get in my way."

"I didn't yesterday did I sweetheart?" He replied. "Besides, it's not as if I make as much noise as Peeta is it?"

"You weren't even interested in me until yesterday Haymitch. Why are you bothering now?"

"Because you weren't ready before. Now you are I want to help."

"I don't want help Haymitch!" I told him angrily.

"Tough," he laughed.

__

Once I had calmed down, I let Haymitch accompany me to the forest, and I had to admit that he was actually quite good company. We laid some traps before searching for the dog. Normally I don't like to hunt them, only killing them if they attacked me first. Still, I thought I could make an exception after everything Greasy Sae had done for me lately.

For an hour or so we couldn't find anything but a few rabbits. I was tempted to give in before Haymitch suggested we collect some berries and see if a dog didn't just track us down instead.

There were a few times when I had to stop him from picking something dangerous, even after surviving in the Hunger Games he still had no idea when it came to what was edible.

"What about these?" Haymitch asked, pointing at a bush.

"Yeah the're fine, they're just..." Strawberries. The fruit I used to sell to Madge's father. Poor Madge, the girl that made me the mockingjay long before anyone else did.

"Is this what it's going to be like forever?" I asked Haymitch, and he gave me a puzzled look. " Not being able to do anything without remembering."

"I think so," he said darkly. "But it's good to remember them. If you try not to think about them then you're just disgracing their memory."

"How can you say that?" I sobbed. "These people died because of me. Surely I can't do anything worse to them than that!"

"You didn't kill them Katniss. They died for for you, and for everyone to make this world better. They wouldn't want you blaming yourself."

"I can't help it."

Just then a low growl made me stiffen, and I turned to find myself being pounced on by a feral dog. I struggled trying to push it away but it was too strong and I felt it's hot breath on my neck getting ready to rip my throat out.

"Katniss!" I heard Haymitch shout, but I knew it was too late. I closed my eyes ready to embrace death when I heard a loud whine from above me.

I opened my eyes to see the dog collapsed on top of me, with Haymitch's knife plunged in it's side. He pulled the beast off me and offered me his hand which I quickly took.

When I was stood up I clung to him for comfort, and it felt as though he was doing the same to me.

"I thought I'd lost you for a second," he told me in a whisper.

"I thought so too," I laughed hollowly.

"Come on then sweetheart," he said, and we awkwardly removed ourselves from the embrace. He picked up the dog and we made our way home, collecting several small animals from the traps I had set earlier as we passed.

"Do your reckon she'll be happy with this lot?" I asked Haymitch as I held up my full game bag.

"I'm sure," he said, groaning under the weight of the dog on his shoulders.


	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: ONCE AGAIN, I AM NOT SUZANNE COLLINS AND DO NOT OWN THE HUNGER GAMES.

A/N. THANKYOU TO INLOVEWITHACRIMINAL FOR MY FIRST REVIEW. YOUR CON-CRIT HAS BEEN HAPPILY ACCEPTED AND I'M IN THE PROCESS OF GOING OVER MY FIRST CHAPTER TO TRY AND MAKE HER A LITTLE LESS CHEERFUL. I'VE NEVER WRITTEN ANGSTY STUFF BEFORE AND I THINK IT'S SHOWING A BIT.

For the rest of the week I spent most of my time hunting with Haymitch. It wasn't the same as hunting with Gale, but I have to admit he was very good company. At least it was better than trying to hunt with Peeta. Haymitch, though often inebriated still managed to keep quiet. It wasn't until Sunday that I went downstairs to see the that house was empty. I found myself feeling hurt, even though Haymitch and I hadn't actually made plans. I supposed he needed a day off from babysitting.

I didn't know what to do with myself. I had only just pulled myself out of my rut of spending all day in Prim's room and I didn't want to go back to that state, no matter how much a part of me screamed to do so. I tried to think of something I could do to help me stay strong rather than sink back into the abyss, but nothing would come to me.

The phone ringing jerked away any ideas that were starting to form. No doubt that was Dr Aurelius trying to get in touch for my treatment. I'd managed to avoid him for the last moth but suddenly the thought of getting better didn't seem so scary. I nervously picked up the phone, readying myself for the lecture I was going to get.

"Hello?"

"Katniss, it's me."

Peeta. Not that i wasn't happy to hear from him but I was disappointed. I doubted that next time the phone rang I would be so quick to answer it.

"Hey Peeta," I replied not sounding quite as cheerfully as I'd tried to.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to get in touch with you for weeks and you never answer."

I frowned. I never thought that not answering the phone to avoid Aurelius would mean missing calls from loved ones as well, though I couldn't understand how I'd failed to realize. "I'm sorry Peeta, I've just been so busy hunting I must have missed you."

It was half true I supposed. I'd been out so much that week that I probably missed dozens of calls, though it didn't account for the three weeks I'd spent holed up in the house.

"Hunting?" He asked confused. "Why would you want to do that now you have the Capitol sending you everything you could need?"

"It's not about needing to hunt anymore," I tried to explain. "Haymitch thinks that it's helping me get better. To how I used to be before the games."

"I knew you'd be getting better!" He told me enthusiastically. "Everyone's been worried because you haven't been answering Dr Aurelius' calls, but I knew there would be a good reason!"

Everyone worrying over me? That was the last thing I wanted. "Don't worry about me, let everyone know I'm fine. You'll see for yourself when you get back!"

"That's actually why I called..."

"Are you coming home soon?" I asked hopefully.

"Maybe." He told me, not sounding sure. "It's all just a bit hectic here at the moment still, and they don't think I'm recovered enough. I might not be back for a few months."

"A few months?" I choked out.

"I'm sorry Katniss. Didn't Haymitch tell you?"

__

"Haymitch!" I shouted as I entered his house, but there was no answer. Probably passed out somewhere no doubt. I checked the kitchen and living room but there was no sign of him. I felt like going upstairs was too much of an invasion of privacy, so after I called up them and recieved no response I gave in and decided to wait for him. The only problem was that there was very little to do, and my mind quickly started to wander to Peeta.

I couldn't believe that he wasn't going to be home for so long. Greasy Sae and Haymitch were decent company, but I didn't have the same connection with them. I felt like I could talk to Peeta about anything from hunting to the pain I felt for the people I had lost. With everyone else the only thing I felt comfortable talking to them about was... Well hunting.

Things might have been different if Gale were here, but he had his new life in District 2. Not that it would have mattered. After the games he had become a different person, even if he himself had not entered them.

Before I let the tears form I quickly headed to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of liquor. I knew Haymitch wouldn't mind, after all the next shipment was due today. Besides, this was how he coped with the loss. It might work for me once I could get past the horrific taste, and if not maybe I could get some wine and mix it with honey. At the moment it felt like I would try anything to stop hurting for even a second.

That was why nearly six hours later Haymitch came home to find me almost passed out on the sofa, an empty bottle on the floor and another half-full in my hand.

"Katniss?" He called to me when he entered the room. He shook his head in what I could only imagine to be disappointment when he saw the alcohol in my hand.

"Hay Mitch!" I grinned sloppily. "Where you been?"

"Mitch?" He asked in an amused tone.

"Yeah, you know... Hay-Mitch. Haymitch!" I started giggling and he sighed loudly.

"So what did you come over for? To see me or to rob me?" He asked, sitting down beside me and snatching the bottle.

"To see you... I can't remember why though." I tried my best to remember but everything seemed very muffled. "Where were you anyway?"

"I had my shopping to collect, and then Dr Aurelius and I-."

"Now I remember!" I told him, my anger from this morning suddenly returning. "Why didn't you tell me Peeta was going to be so late coming back? He rang this morning and told me himself, though apparently you've known for a while."

"Sweetheart, it wasn't like I didn't want to tell you-."

"Don't you 'sweetheart' me!" I yelled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't think you'd be able to handle it until now, but after speaking to Dr Aurelius today I thought maybe it was time to. Obviously I was wrong not to tell you before though, because you can clearly handle it," he said the last bit sarcastically.

"I can! It's just you I can't handle right now!"

"So what do you want to do? Avoid me for another month and go back to hiding in that house?" He asked. His voice wasn't angry, but I could tell his patience with me was wearing.

"Maybe I do!" I said, picking myself up and storming out. Or at least I tried to storm out. I was barely out of the living room when I slipped on an empty bottle and felt myself crashing to the ground. Not a second too soon I felt Haymitch's arms grab hold of me tightly. He looked at me with concerned eyes, and suddenly I felt guilty. Guilty for storming round here, guilty for stealing his alcohol, and guilty for shouting at him when he was only trying to protect me.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, nuzzling up to his chest.

"It's alright sweetheart," he whispered, gently stroking my hair. "Maybe lay off the liquor for a while though. I can't keep up with your mood swings when you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk!" I told him, though I wasn't fooling anyone.

"Alright then," he said in an attempt to humour me. "But I think we should get you home. You look exhausted."

"I don't want to go home, it's miles away!" I whined.

"It's just around the corner," he sighed, shaking his head at me.

"Can't I just stop here?" I asked.

"I really don't think that's such a good idea Katniss," he told me.

"Please Haymitch?" I asked again, and the sigh he gave made me know I'd won.

"Fine, it's not like I use the bedroom anyway."

"Carry me?" I asked, a playful smile forming on my lips.

"I think you're pushing your luck sweetheart. You can walk just fine."

"No I can't! See..." I pulled myself out of is embrace and walked towards the stairs. I planned to 'trip,' but I lost my footing and actually fell. Haymitch wasn't fast enough this time, and I crashed to the ground.

"Katniss," he sighed, scooping me up in his arms and carrying me up to the bedroom.

"I told you that I wanted you to carry me," I laughed as he laid me down on the bed.

"And I did, now go to sleep. You're going to feel terrible in the morning." He told me, clearly resisting the urge to laugh. He made to leave when I stopped him.

"Don't go!" I pleaded.

"I can't stay up here with you. It wouldn't be right." He told me, avoiding my gaze.

"But I'm not tired," I told him, failing to stifle my yawn that said otherwise.

"Of course not," he laughed. "Goodnight sweetheart."

And with that, he switched off the light and shut the door. With the world spinning I felt myself slipping from reality to dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I REALLY WISH I OWNED THE HUNGER GAMES, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME I DON'T.

A/N: FOR ANYONE FOLLOWING THIS STORY THAT HASN'T SEEN, CHAPTER ONE HAS NOW BEEN UPDATED WITH A FEW SMALL CHANGES. THANKYOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ADDED THIS TO THEIR ALERTS :) I WON'T STOP WRITING BECAUSE YOU DON'T REVIEW, BUT THEY DO HELP ME GET MOTIVATED, SO IF YOU LIKE OR DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, FEEL FREE TO TELL ME.

**Haymitch POV**

How dare she come in here, drink my alcohol and then make me carry her up to my bed. Then on top of all that she has the tenacity to ask if I'll stay with her? Peeta was right, she really doesn't know what kind of an affect she has on people. If she did then she would never have wanted me to stay with her in that bedroom. Never.

When I first met Katniss I thought she was annoying and rash, but at the same time I knew there was more to her. I knew she might just have what it takes to make District 12 a winning district again. She didn't let me down, and she exceeded my expectations when she managed to help take down the Capitol itself.

She doesn't see how brilliant she is though. Even after Peeta and Gale fawning over her for the past year, she can't seem to grasp the concept that there might be more to her than she even realized herself. That's why I promised to protect her, because she's done so much for everyone that she needs saving. She needs as much of a normal life as she can have now she's out of the games.

I just wished she wouldn't make it so difficult. When she's sober she's impossible to talk to. She's either angry at me for one thing or another, or she closes herself off and won't tell me what she's thinking. When she's drunk she's even worse, though luckily that was the first time I'd seen her like that. Her mood swings are out of control at best at the moment, not that I can blame her of course. But when she's drunk... I can't keep up with her. She goes from angry, to sad, to flirty in seconds, and if it was only the first two then I could handle. Flirty Katniss though is an entirely different thing.

Most of the time I can pretend that it's only friendship I feel for her, but there are times when it's very difficult to control. I hate her for making me feel like that. I haven't felt anything like that since I was a teenager, before Snow killed everyone I loved. My drunken state was always enough to put off anyone that may have been mildly interesting to me, it stopped me from ever getting close enough to anyone, and if I wasn't close to anyone I couldn't have feelings for them.

I never thought that I would start to have feelings for one of my charges. She was just some kid I was supposed to protect. And that's the problem, even if I was willing to put my shield down for her, it wouldn't matter. She's only a kid. It's sick, and wrong and anyway, she has Peeta. That is if she decides she wants him, and that seems likely after the fuss she made about him today.

Poor Peeta, the boy who has been waiting his whole life for her to notice him. The boy who put up with her constantly leading him on and then dropping him back down when she didn't want to deal with him. Is that how I'll become. I saw how much of a hold she had on that other boy from District 12, Gale. He left the district to get away from his feelings for her.

_Well it's tough luck if she thinks she can do that to me_, I thought to myself. _I need to distance myself from her_.

But how could I do that when she's finally starting to make progress. I mean she answered the phone today, that's the first time since she's been back that she's had the guts to do that. No, I couldn't just leave her. Not after everything she's been through. After everything she's done for me and everyone else in Panem. I'm going to help her. Even if it does mean sacrificing myself.

**Katniss POV**

When I woke up my head was pounding in a way that had only happened once before. _How much did I drink last night? _I asked myself, and when I opened my eyes I had a terrible feeling that it was a lot more than I should have done. I was in a strange bed that I could only assume was Haymitch's, as the room had the same layout as the master bedroom in my own house.

_Did I sleep with him? _I wondered nervously. If I had then things would be terribly awkward from now on, not to mention the fact that I would want my first time to be special, but when I lifted myself begrudgingly out of bed I found myself fully dressed. Probably not then.

_What is wrong with me?" _I thought suddenly when I realized I was more bothered about the fact I thought I'd drunkenly slept with someone, rather than that someone being Haymitch. I blamed the alcohol for that little slip up. I had more pressing issues to be dealing with, than adding another problem to the mix.

Suddenly I felt vomit rising from my stomach, and quickly rushed to the room I presumed would be the bathroom. When I reached the toilet I gagged, bringing up a horrible dark liquid that made my throat burn.

"Are you OK sweetheart?" A voice behind me asked. I spun around to see Haymitch stepping out of the shower.

"Oh God, you're naked!" I said, spinning back round and emptying the rest of my stomach into the toilet.

"I didn't think I was that bad looking!" He laughed, wrapping a towel around his waist and rushing over to hold my hair back for me.

"Thats. Not. What. I. Meant." I said through waves of sickness.

"I'm only messing with you," he laughed. "Relax."

"How am I supposed to relax when I can't stop being sick?" I snapped.

"I have no sympathy, it's self inflicted after all."

"I highly doubt that. No doubt you have some involvement in how much I drank last night." I said, being sick once more.

"You can't remember?" He asked me, and I shook my head slowly. "You were the one that broke in here and started drinking long before I came home."

"Please tell me that's a joke," I said, but the memories were coming back. Speaking to Peeta, storming round to see Haymitch, the bottle and a half of liquor I'd had while I was waiting. "Oh Haymitch, I'm sorry."

"There'll be time for that later," he told me, stepping into his jeans and using the towel to dry his hair. "You get yourself cleaned up and I'll make you something to get rid of that hangover of yours."

"Thank you," I mumbled as he left.

**Haymitch POV**

_I am going to kill her, _I thought to myself miserably as I wandered into the kitchen to find her something to cure her headache.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: NOTHING HAS CHANGED. I STILL DON'T OWN THE HUNGER GAMES.

**Katniss POV**

I shuffled into the kitchen to smell eggs sizzling in the pan. "I didn't know you could cook?" I asked Haymitch.

"What do you think I did in the games? Pressed a button and everything came rushing to me?" He had a point, but it was still a shock to see Haymitch make anything other than liquid sustenance.

I shrugged and started to give him a hand, but he shoo'd me away so I dropped myself onto a kitchen chair and let him do the work.

"How are you feeling now?" He asked me as he cooked.

"Terrible," I admitted, and he laughed. "I'm glad to know my suffering amuses you."

"It's just funny seeing it from someone else's point of view. Normally that would be me right about now." How Haymitch managed to put himself through this everyday was inconceivable to me. This was only the second time I'd been hungover, and even then it was twice too many.

He placed a plate in front of me and I had to stop myself from retching from the smell. It wasn't that Haymitch was a bad cook, but I didn't think I could force myself to eat at the moment.

"I know you won't feel up to it, but trust me. It'll soak up the alcohol." He told me, and I was annoyed that he could read me so well. Still, he was the expert in all things alcohol, so I tentatively nudged the food onto my fork and raised it to my mouth.

"I think I'm going to be sick!" I told him before I'd even opened my mouth. I ran back upstairs to the bathroom but I didn't make it in time. A huge patch of vomit now lay outside of Haymitch's bathroom, and I had a feeling he wouldn't be too happy. Now that Greasy Sae had started cleaning for him again, it was obvious he was making an effort not to make much work for her.

I went into the bathroom and picked up the towel Haymitch had used this morning, hopefully he wouldn't mind me using it to clean. When I went back onto the landing however, Haymitch was already knelt down cleaning it himself.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning this pile of sick you made before Greasy Sae kills me!" He said, not sounding angry, but amused.

"I was going to do it!" I snapped kneeling down next to him and helping.

"Don't worry, I won't think you owe me for this."

How did he know that would bother me? Was I really that predictable? "Whatever," I said, getting back up and throwing the towel into the laundry basket next to me.

When we went back downstairs we found Buttercup in the kitchen eating what would have been our breakfasts.

"I see your cat's treating this place like it's his home too," Haymitch grumbled.

"And just what is that meant to mean?" I snapped. Just because I stayed here for one night didn't mean I was treating the place like I owned it.

"Will you stop taking everything to heart?" Haymitch asked irritably.

"I do not!" I replied offended.

"Yes you do! You're always acting like everyone is out to get you just because they say something you don't want to hear."

"No I do not!" I repeated angrily.

Like the first time I met you and Peeta told you that you didn't know what kind of an effect you have on people. He didn't mean that offensively but you still took it that way."

"Well that was different, Peeta had feelings for me, and I'm sorry if I don't go around as if everyone is in love with me!"

"So when Peeta says something that offends you it's alright because he's in love with you?" Haymitch asked in a raised voice.

"It's not like that!" I told him, rubbing my head to try and stop his voice from making my headache worse.

"Clearly it is! And you can stop moaning about your head because if you didn't break in here and steal my drink you wouldn't be feeling like that in the first place!" Suddenly the unthinkable happened, and if it wasn't for the cut on Haymitch's chest I would have thought I'd imagined it.

Buttercup hissed at Haymitch before leaping off the table towards him, claws raised angrily. He sliced down Haymitch's chest before landing on the ground and standing in front of me defensively.

"Good Buttercup," I said giving him a quick fuss. Haymitch glared at the two of us before storming into the living room, and I had to stifle a giggle. "You probably shouldn't have done that, now I'm going to have to apologise.

I picked the cat up and placed him on the table so he could finish my meal before I went to face Haymitch.

"If you know what's best for it, you should make sure that furball stays away from me!" He warned when I entered.

"Haymitch, I'm sorry." I told him, hoping he would forgive me quickly rather than stay angry for days like Gale would.

"It wasn't you, it was that cat!" He said softly, but I could still hear the resentment in his voice.

"I mean't I'm sorry for how I've been. I shouldn't take things out of context but it's easier to take things to mean the worst, that way they won't hurt you if you're wrong."

"You shouldn't be sorry," Haymitch told me. "I was the one that got angry for no reason. I don't know why I flipped out."

**Haymitch POV**

_But you do know why, _a voice in my head said. _You're still angry at her because you like her so much. _

"It's ok," Katniss told me, coming over and taking my shirt off.

"What are you doing?" I asked cautiously.

"Checking how badly he cut you," she replied. It's funny how a girl that little over a year ago couldn't stand the sight of blood was now checking my wounds. "It doesn't look too bad," she told me before disappearing back into the kitchen.

She returned with a wet cloth and quickly started to dab and the cut, clearing away the blood until you could see a small claw mark. "I'm fine," I told her. "It was just your stupid cat!"

"He's not stupid!" She defended. She really had changed. I could remember when we were at District 13 and she made a game of teasing the creature with a small torch.

"When did he become not stupid then?" I asked.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I think it's because Prim loved him so much that I fell like it's my job to look after him now. I mean, he just defended me so surely that was an indication that we don't hate each other so much anymore."

"You're full of surprises," I tell her, and she laughs at me. It's nice to see her laugh after all this time. I worry when she's withdrawn because I know she's thinking about her sister and the rest of District 12. The rare times she smiles are the only times I can believe she's not going to give in, because if I was in her situation I know I would.

I pulled my shirt back on and motioned for her to sit on the sofa with me. When she climbed up I put my arms around her and let myself have a moment I knew I shouldn't have. I let myself pretend that we were together, just for a second. Then I kissed the top of her head and let her go.

"Haymitch, I'm going to get better aren't I?" She asked me, and I felt my heart break a little bit for her.

"Of course you are sweetheart," I told her.


End file.
